Freshii
Freshii is a Canadian fast-casual restaurant franchise focused on customizable salads, bowls, wraps, burritos, soups, smoothies, and other health-oriented meals.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Freshii is a Canadian fast-casual restaurant franchise founded in Toronto in 2005 by Matthew Corrin. The brand was created around the idea that customers could obtain food perceived as fresher and more health-oriented than conventional fast food while still receiving the speed and convenience associated with quick-service restaurants. Its menu has centered on customizable salads, grain and vegetable bowls, wraps, burritos, soups, smoothies, juices, frozen yogurt, snacks, and packaged meal solutions. Corrin developed the concept after observing New York delis and other urban food outlets that served fresh meals quickly. The first restaurant initially operated under the name Lettuce Eatery. It attracted substantial demand on its opening day, reportedly drawing queues and exhausting its food supply before the lunch period ended. The business subsequently adopted the Freshii name and pursued a franchise-led expansion model. Freshii grew rapidly during the 2010s. By 2016, the company reported approximately 220 restaurants in 20 countries and was opening stores at an average rate of about 3.5 per week. Canada and the United States became its principal North American markets, while international development extended into Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. Colombia became an important base for Latin American operations. International restaurants generally used the same core menu architecture as North American and European units, while allowing some local ingredients and market-specific adaptations. The brand broadened its offer beyond restaurant meals. In 2016, it introduced meal boxes at most locations, with plans covering periods from one to 30 days and including combinations of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. In 2019, Freshii announced an initiative to place pre-packaged meals in Walmart Canada stores, extending the brand into retail distribution. Freshii also explored additional international markets, including the United Kingdom, Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. Freshii's growth was accompanied by operational, regulatory, and reputational challenges. In 2017, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that some Freshii locations were not complying with Ontario requirements concerning the display of calorie information on menus. In 2022, the company trialed a virtual cashier system known as Percy, in which remote workers, including workers in Central America, assisted customers through video conferencing. The arrangement generated criticism from the Canadian Labour Congress, which argued that the model displaced local entry-level employment and relied on lower-paid overseas labour. Freshii said the system was intended to respond to labour shortages associated with the COVID-19 period. Corrin stepped down as chief executive in May 2022 to concentrate on Percy, and chief financial officer Daniel Haroun became CEO. Freshii's public-market period ended after Foodtastic agreed to acquire the company. The transaction was announced in December 2022 and completed on February 22, 2023. The completed purchase was reported at C$2.30 per share, while the announced transaction value was reported as C$74.4 million. Freshii therefore continued as a Foodtastic-owned restaurant brand rather than as an independent public company. Its continuing identity is based on convenient, customizable, globally deployable healthy fast-casual food delivered through franchised and company-supported locations.
History
Freshii began in Toronto in 2005, when Matthew Corrin developed a restaurant concept inspired by urban delis offering fresh food with relatively rapid service. The first outlet was initially called Lettuce Eatery. Its opening generated heavy customer demand and the restaurant reportedly ran out of food before the end of lunch. The business later adopted the Freshii name and built its growth strategy around franchising. The brand's central proposition was to make salads, bowls, wraps, burritos, soups, smoothies, and related foods available in a convenient fast-casual setting. Customization allowed customers to select combinations of vegetables, grains, proteins, dressings, and other ingredients. This format enabled the company to preserve a recognizable global menu while adapting products to different markets. Freshii expanded particularly quickly during the 2010s. By 2016, it reported about 220 locations in 20 countries and an average pace of 3.5 new store openings per week. North America remained its largest operating region. The company also developed a notable presence in Latin America, with Colombia serving as an operational base. Restaurants in Latin America used the core Freshii menu but could incorporate local or domestic ingredients. The company explored or announced development in Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Saudi Arabia, in addition to existing operations in several European and Middle Eastern markets. Freshii diversified its distribution model during this period. In 2016, it introduced meal boxes containing combinations of meals and snacks for plans ranging from one to 30 days. In 2019, it announced plans to sell packaged meals through Walmart Canada. These initiatives sought to move the brand beyond individual restaurant visits and into planned meal consumption and retail. The company encountered regulatory and labour-related criticism. In 2017, a CBC report alleged that Freshii was failing to comply with Ontario menu calorie-posting requirements. In 2022, Freshii tested Percy, a virtual cashier system that used video conferencing and remote workers, including workers located in Central America. Freshii described the model as a response to labour shortages linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian Labour Congress criticized the arrangement, arguing that it outsourced work to lower-wage countries and removed jobs that had previously been available to Canadian students. In May 2022, Corrin left the CEO position to concentrate on Percy, and Daniel Haroun succeeded him. Freshii remained publicly traded for part of this period, but its shares experienced a major decline before the company was sold. Foodtastic agreed to acquire Freshii in December 2022 and completed the purchase on February 22, 2023. The transaction was reported at C$2.30 per share, with an announced value of C$74.4 million. Freshii subsequently operated as a Foodtastic-owned brand. Publicly available material cited here does not establish a complete current store count outside North America, and the company has historically stated that international locations represented a small share of total revenue.
- 2023
Acquisition by Foodtastic
[1]Foodtastic completed its purchase of Freshii, taking the brand out of public ownership.
- 2022
Leadership transition and Percy trial
[1]Freshii tested virtual cashiers under the Percy name, while Corrin left the CEO role and Daniel Haroun became CEO.
- 2019
Planned Walmart Canada packaged-meal rollout
[1]Freshii announced plans to introduce pre-packaged meals through Walmart Canada stores.
- 2017
Menu calorie-labeling controversy
[1]A CBC report raised questions about compliance by Freshii locations with Ontario calorie-posting rules.
- 2016
Rapid international expansion and meal boxes
[1]Freshii reported approximately 220 stores in 20 countries and introduced meal boxes with plans ranging from one to 30 days.
- 2005
Freshii founded in Toronto
[1]Matthew Corrin founded the business, initially operating under the name Lettuce Eatery before the Freshii brand was adopted.
Products and positioning
Health-oriented fast-casual dining that combines customizable fresh meals, quick service, and an internationally franchisable restaurant format.
Restaurant meals · 2005
Salads and bowls
Salads and bowls are core Freshii offerings. They are built around vegetables, grains, legumes, proteins, toppings, and dressings, allowing customers to configure meals to their preferences. The format supports the brand's health-oriented positioning and can be adapted across countries through local ingredient additions.
Restaurant meals · 2005
Wraps and burritos
Freshii's wraps and burritos provide portable meal formats using combinations of vegetables, grains, proteins, sauces, and other fillings. They extend the brand beyond salad-based occasions while retaining its fast-casual, customizable presentation.
Restaurant meals · 2005
Soups
Soups form part of Freshii's warm-meal range and complement its salads, bowls, wraps, and burritos. They broaden the menu for customers seeking a hot, convenient meal, particularly in colder seasons and markets.
Beverages · 2005
Smoothies and juices
Smoothies and juices reinforce Freshii's fresh and wellness-oriented identity. They are sold as standalone beverages or as additions to meals, helping the chain compete across both food and beverage occasions.
Meal plans · 2016
Meal boxes
Introduced broadly in 2016, Freshii meal boxes package planned eating occasions into structured programs. Available plans were described as ranging from one to 30 days and could include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks.
Retail food · 2019
Pre-packaged meals
Freshii announced plans in 2019 to sell pre-packaged meals through Walmart Canada. This line represented an effort to extend the restaurant brand into grocery and mass-retail distribution.
Desserts
Frozen yogurt
Frozen yogurt is identified as part of Freshii's broader restaurant menu, providing a dessert option alongside the brand's predominantly meal- and beverage-focused offer.
Controversies
2022
Criticism of outsourced virtual cashiers
Freshii's Percy trial used remote cashiers, reportedly including workers in Central America. The Canadian Labour Congress criticized the program over alleged displacement of Canadian student jobs and lower overseas pay. Freshii characterized the system as a response to pandemic-era labour shortages.
2017
Ontario calorie-labeling compliance criticism
CBC reported that Freshii was failing to comply at some locations with an Ontario law requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus.
Marketing campaigns
- WE Charity meal-donation support
Markets where Freshii operated and participated
Freshii supported WE Charity through a program in which qualifying customer meal purchases were linked to food donations for children in need.
Outcome. WE Charity announced that it was ceasing operations in late 2020 following a political controversy and the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brand decisions
2023
Complete Foodtastic acquisitionM&ABackground
Foodtastic's previously announced purchase required completion of the transaction.
Action taken
Foodtastic completed the acquisition at a reported C$2.30 per share.
Aftermath
Freshii became a Foodtastic-owned restaurant brand and was no longer an independently listed company.
Acquisition price per share. C$2.30 per share (February 22, 2023 completion)
2022
Trial virtual cashier technologyStrategyBackground
Freshii faced staffing shortages during the period affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Action taken
The company trialed Percy, a video-conferencing system through which outsourced remote workers handled cashier interactions.
Aftermath
The trial triggered labour criticism and coincided with a leadership transition in which Corrin left the CEO role to focus on Percy.
2022
Agree to acquisition by FoodtasticM&ABackground
Freshii was a publicly traded restaurant company pursuing franchised growth while facing operational and market pressures.
Action taken
Freshii signed an agreement for Foodtastic to acquire the company in a transaction reported at C$74.4 million.
Aftermath
Foodtastic completed the acquisition in February 2023, and Freshii ceased operating as an independent public company.
Announced transaction value. C$74.4 million (December 2022 announcement)
2019
Extend the brand into retail through Walmart CanadaStrategyBackground
Freshii pursued distribution beyond its franchised restaurant network.
Action taken
The company announced plans to sell pre-packaged meals in Walmart Canada stores.
Aftermath
The announcement marked a move toward retail packaged food, but the cited material does not confirm the final scale or duration of the rollout.
2016
Introduce structured meal boxesProduct launchBackground
Freshii sought to broaden its business beyond individual restaurant transactions and address customers planning meals over multiple days.
Action taken
The company introduced meal boxes containing breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks, with plans ranging from one to 30 days.
Aftermath
Meal boxes became an additional part of Freshii's health-oriented offering, although the cited material does not provide subsequent sales figures.
Recent events
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